The Pandora Box
by TARDISFlyingTowardsMe
Summary: While Jamie is in the first epic battle Scott is also busy in another world where time doesn't exist. He met a strange girl who called herself Pandora. She had treated his wounds from the torture in nightrise, emotionally and physically. Pandora had a mysterious box, that later lead Scott to realise that it was horribly connected to his world. A twisted love and a daunting truth.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Pandora was strapped to something cold and hard, she could barely move a limb. Panic choked her and she struggled violently but the thick straps held. A bulb directly above her head was switched on at maximum, shooting glaring lights and burning her eyes even when she squeezed them shut. Terrified whimpering escaped her trembling lips and a lump rose in her throat as she realized where she was, what this was.

The walls of the room were so white it made her sick just to look at and they seemed to be closing in against her. Pandora looked down to see her entire body strapped tightly against the metal slab she was lying on and there was no way she could overcome it. Terror raked her entire being as she saw plastic tubes with grotesque colors snaking around her wrists and pumping drugs into her body. Pandora cried and tried yanking them away but her head immediately throbbed.

A ringing, slow and constant at first, gradually escalated into a fast shrieking chime roaring inside her head. It was like holding two metal plates smashing and scraping them against each other right beside her ears. The ringing took Pandora's sanity away, even her scream could not drown it.

And then it stopped suddenly. Before Pandora could clear her head, a burst of pain shocked her entire body. Pandora screamed and writhed until the tight merciless straps cut into her skin. Again the shocking pain buzzed through her slowly, agonizingly from her toes all the way to her head. She could literally _feel_ it travelling up her, setting her on fire on the way. By the time it was through, Pandora was breathless from screaming. Tears that had been forced out by the pain sizzled against her skin, it felt like her cheeks were on flames.

There was a woman, her face vague and blur. She was laughing sweetly, as though listening to a gentlemen's humor. She studied her screams with interest of those studying a piece of classical music. Making her recommendations reasonably, choosing from the menu that destroyed her. Pandora screamed until her throat was parched. She wanted everything to be over. The woman's finger went over to the controls, she smiled, and flicked a button.

Pandora gasped and found herself in her bed, with her blankets on the floor. Her bed was soaked in her sweat and she panted heavily. She grasped her legs and hugged them to her chest, shivering violently and sobbing into her knees. The pain was gone, but she could remember it so clearly. As though it was real.

It was a nightmare for her. A nightmare that haunted her every night. Its details were so livid and the pain was so excruciating. Pandora's guts warned her that it was all real, real hell to someone out there who was screaming in the torture room now.

Chapter 1

Scott woke up and immediately felt the major difference. He was lying on something soft and comfortable, instead of the cold and metal plank. He had a small blanket slightly draped over his chest. Now that was a change. All of a sudden, his chest tightened and an excruciating pain shot up his entire body, it felt as though his ribcage was breaking one by one. He moaned and could barely open his eyes. All the energy drained out of him. He feared of what would become of him once he slept the horrors of hell. Before he dropped into his empty sleep, he felt something. Something soft and reassuring. Something that somehow convinced him, everything was going to be alright. The pain faded away…

The next time he woke up, he could hardly remember anything. Everything around him was very confusing. It was probably night, how did he know that? In the torture room, there were no windows. Everything was just black, hopeless black, death black. But he was in a different room. There was a night breeze and the sound of owl hooting. The room was dark and he could barely see anything. _Pain_. Scott's memory came flooding back like a river gushing into his brain. It was so overpowering, his lungs were robbed from oxygen and he flinched. Something stirred. Scott was slightly taken aback. So he wasn't alone in this weird hallucination. He still refused to believe that everything could be so beautiful.

Scott screwed his eyes down to find a little creature resting on the same bed as him too. Resting would not be the right word. She simply sat on the floor and pillowed her head with her arms that were resting on the bed. Her messy long hair covered her face and that was about all Scott could make out. Somehow, Scott had felt much better than before and the pain was ebbing away. He had never felt calmer. With all the energy used up again, Scott willingly fall into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Pandora woke up. She only planned to rest for two minutes before one whole night passed. At first the sight of a teenage boy lying on her bed startled her again as usual. She was still not used to it even after four days.

She silently studied the boy again, he looked fifteen. He had high structured cheekbones and long dark hair. He might have once looked pleasant, but now he was pale and unhealthy. Well, Pandora hoped she helped with the situation.

Pandora stretched herself and left the room for the boy to rest. She closed the door and leaned against the door and sighed heavily. She tried to arrange the facts again.

Barely one week had past when she heard the screams, had the nightmares. Shortly later four days ago, she found the boy lying unconscious on her bedroom floor. His face was screwed in pain and he was writhing in agony. The boy's shirt was torn and there was an ugly red slash on his chest. Pandora did the only thing she could; she consulted the box and tried to treat the boy's wounds. She had barely slept in those four days and couldn't have slept since the boy occupied her only bed.

There was a creak and Pandora knew he must have woken up. Shit, what is she going to say? "Oh hey you've been sleeping on my bed for four days unconscious." She heard a soft moan coming from there and swept her thoughts away. Biting her lips, she burst into the room.

Scott suffered a minor heart attack when the door burst opened and a girl about his age stumbled in without so much as a footstep or a knock as warning. She had bright ginger hair that waved at her shoulders. Her eyes were wide with concern and curiosity. She was probably studying him as much as he was studying her. There was an awkward silence.

"Hey you alright? Erm… you shouldn't really try to stand up, just… sit there…" the girl blushed at her failed attempt to break the awkward silence, making everything even more awkward.

She advanced forward but Scott drew himself back protectively almost immediately out of forced habits. After what he had been through, he had hated physical contact entirely. Hurt briefly flashed in the girl's eyes but Scott did not care. She stopped and bit her lips into a nervous smile. Scott did not trust her. He was too tired to use his power, and seriously out of practice.

He glared at her hostilely and scrunched away from the girl. The girl furrowed her brows and looked offended briefly before turning away to avoid his challenging gaze. She offered to get him some water before hastily leaving.

Scott was left in the room alone again and took the chance to actually study the room properly. The room was not too big or too small and it had four walls. Four _beautiful_ walls. They had a beautiful shade of turquoise, green and white all mixed together. It had produced a stunning effect, as though entering a luring hole that never ended. There was a wooden table and a closet in the room, and that was about it. A very simple but relaxing room, Scott concluded.

He was sitting on a bed with his back leaning against the wall. He felt stronger and the pain on his chest wound did not feel that intense. His head was still throbbing and he remembered with dread that there were probably dirty drugs swimming inside his head now.

The pain shot through his body again. That familiar pain, _electricity_. He could barely breathe, his head screamed and he was back there again, with straps and tubes. Uncontrollably, his eyes filled with tears. The woman, _Susan Mortblake_, laughed sweetly and adjusted the dentist light right over his eyes and blinded him. He wanted to die, for he knew what was coming next. _Pain_.

。。。

Scott sucked in his breath, squeezed his eyes, and prepared for the worst. His muscles tensed and fear gripped him. But nothing came. Something or someone grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently.

"Hey! Hey, are you alright? Can you hear me? HEY!" Scott gasped and sprang his eyes open. He was back to the strange room again. Despite being confused and intimidated, he could not help but feel a sense of relieve wash over. The girl was still shaking him slightly before abruptly stopping. She propped Scott against the bed as he panted heavily. Somehow, Scott must have fall from the bed. There was sheen of cold sweat covering his face. The girl offered him a cup of water, Scott gulped it down immediately.

The girl was studying him with concern and worry. Scott was still shivering from what he had just seen. He had barely recovered and his heart continued hammering his chest. His breath was fast and labored. The memories flooded all back, all the worst ones. Scott had to fight the tears away. They were tears of rage. Rage at how unfair the world is, how bloody cruel fate is. Why him? Why not everyone else in the world? He would not cry in front of a girl who thinks she is babysitting a poor injured boy. Hatred for the world, even the girl, started pouring into his heart, forming an ugly black scar.

"Erm… are you OK? Do you want me to get you anything? Er… I don't know… Painkillers…" Scott winced at the word and the girl quickly realized her mistake. "No, I mean food. You must be really hungry. You haven't eaten for four days!"

Scott nodded hastily. Anything to make her leave him alone. Again, the look in the girl's eyes told him that she had somehow guessed his message. She stood up and left the room, her brows knitted.

Scott did not feel guilty, just tired. Really tired of everything, everything that took away even the little bit of his faith in humanity. There was no trust, only hatred. He dropped his head back onto the bed and thought of the one thing that mattered to his life. Jamie. They would probably never see each other again. A thought struck him, maybe not.

Since, he had somehow managed to get out of Silent Creek (he seriously hope what he saw just now was just a dream and not _this_), maybe he could first ask for an explanation from the weird girl then he would set out to find Jamie, no matter how impossible the task may seem.

If he was caught by the bastards that tortured him again, then he would be ready. He had sworn to himself a million times to take his own life rather than be captured and reduce to an animal by them again.

Caught up in his own thoughts, he had not realized how time had passed. His head was still ringing but he felt physically more rest and he attempted to stand up. He used to bed to support himself and staggered; his leg muscles were stiff and numb. Grinding his teeth, he tried a few steps before he finally remembered and managed a feeble attempt to walk normally.

He stumbled to the door and grabbed the doorknob for support again. After his muscles had finished screaming, he twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**So I went to the swimming pool thinking about the plot and I got so pissed that I decided to just… haha, no spoilers, readon! I-(w)-I**

Chapter 4

Pandora was troubled. First of all it was her own life. It did not make sense at all. For one whole year she had been leaving alone stuck in her own world, with a stupid box as company. She knew things she need to know, but not things she should know.

And for some miracle she had managed to fight through insanity, she started hearing the screams. At first she thought maybe she was heading towards madness. But everything was so real, the pain and the screams. She shuddered at the thought. She knew somehow that the boy (it occurred to her that she did not even know her name) was dauntingly connected to all her nightmares. She feared for the real connection, perhaps she knew already. Pandora was avoiding her own thoughts.

In the end, she decided that all answers came from him. How did he even end up in her bedroom? She was so alone in her eccentric world and prayed every night for some sort of friend or company (aside from the box, again she felt silly talking to a box). Is that what the box gave her? The injured boy…

Pandora went to the kitchen and got a packet of crackers. What now? Give a small packet of biscuit to a boy who looked like he went through war? Pandora chewed on her lips and resisted the temptation to fling the crackers onto the floor. Overwhelmed with so many feelings, but was ultimately helpless. Pandora heaved a long heavy sigh and dragged herself to the fridge; perhaps she'll make some minestrone soup.

Pandora cleared the kitchen and was about to bring the soup into the room. She made sure she dragged everything she did. After all, the boy did not feel comfortable with her presence. Then again, she did not either.

Pandora stared at the door and strained her ears to get an inkling of what the boy was doing in her room. The silence was quite loud. Maybe he fell asleep again? Pandora stood there awkwardly and gave herself a nervous shaky laugh. She was just about to push open the door when it burst open and the boy staggered out.

Except everything happened in a split second. Him falling onto her, her spilling the soup onto the floor, and somehow, somehow the soup had turned into the vast sea.

In that split second, the boy and Pandora fell into the sea.

Scott could not process what was happening. Shock arrived first; the impact of slamming onto the water surface. He barely registered the fact that he was somehow sinking. It was the sharp sting on his chest that stung his sense out. He was drowning. He never even touched water bodies or even the swimming pool in his life; obviously he didn't know how to swim.

Panic bubbled up and it did not even need to mention the pain hitting his chain. Ice cold salt water was like needles, pricking and ripping his flesh. Scott could not bear the pain anymore, he hollered out. That conveniently filled his lungs immediately with water. He choked violently and more water invaded his lungs. So this was how it feels to drown. Human instincts made him claw for the surface. Everywhere was pitch dark and he could hardly locate up. There was no energy left in him. He might as well die. To hell with the world, he had enough already. Death might seem like a salvation to him.

Something, or someone, grabbed his wrist. He was too numb in cold to register what. It tightened around him tightly, so tightly that the bones were almost breaking. But who would care about that when both his lungs and chest were in a deadly battle to see who could kill Scott first? Someone was thrusting and pulling him forward. Up or down? He had no directory sense anyway. He prayed for his head to break the water surface and gulp in air soon. Soon! But nothing came. The pressure building up in his ears, Scott realised he was not going up, but _down_. He was robbed off oxygen for so long that his lungs were screaming. Scott couldn't take it anymore. _Just let me die quickly. _

And that was exactly what happened to him.

**GUYS I KNOW THIS IS CRAP SHIT. LIKE WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING…? But Scott didn't die :) I already finished chapter 5… Tell me if you want more! I'm still a stupid amateur and know nothing about anything… If you want more or have any suggestions, please review! ONE REVIEW, JUST ONE, IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME ENTER INTO SOME WRITING FRENZY!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Pandora was a disheveled piece of quivering leaf. Her eyes stung with both tears and salty sea water. She had to go through the ordeal again, the ordeal of drowning and experiencing death. Needless to say, she hated it.

"Stupid, I should have known…" Pandora could not help but glare at the boy beside him (who appeared to be in a much worse state than her) and mumbled to herself.

"What? Are you blaming me now? I don't know where the bloody hell I am. I've been tortured worst than anything you can have imagined. I lost the only person that mattered to me and ended in this freak place of yours. AND THEN, I fell into the bloody sea and drowned. And I ended up back in this stupid room again. What the HELL is your problem!?"

Scott's anger made him recover all his energy briefly. Yet it also attacked his wound on his chest. He winced. He had a bad feeling it was infected by the dirty water. Scott grinded his teeth and trembled with sheer rage.

Why didn't he just die? Why _couldn't_ he just die? For the past month, all he wanted was the end. The end to the pain, the immense pain, even if it meant embracing death, he didn't care. Finally he had the chance and he actually drowned. He knew he had drowned, definitely. So why the hell is he still in this stupid room? WHY?

"I…FINE it was my bad I shouldn't have left you…"

"WHO ARE YOU? MY BABYSITTER?"

The girl was taken aback and truly looked hurt, Scott did not care. He turned his head away.

"You little… Arghh! Don't… Ahh god we shouldn't fight. I know what it's like to have questions bursting in your head. It's… it's just misunderstanding… Do you want me to explain?"

Scott wanted not to care. But he knew he needed an explanation. Everything happening around him, it was obviously not a dream. He gave a curt nod but still avoided her eyes. Deep down, he felt quite horrible at his stupidity. Had nightrise turned him into a monster?

"Ok… so firstly, my name is Pandora. The scary part is, the name was inside my head when I first came here… all very creepy… What's yours? Name I mean."

Scott reluctantly mumbled his answer, still avoiding her eyes. Instead he studied the room he was in again.

"Oh. Ok… Well…Scott, first of all you and I are sort of in a box. Like, well… If you want to know how I came in here… I figured it all out the hard way. I think I was in the sea and must have drowned. I ended up in this very same room we are in quite unconscious. I know I know, it is impossible but somehow if you die in the sea at some area you'll go to the box. That's why I dragged you down… er… Sorry about that but I had to make you drown before you are actually safe… Arghhh I'm bad at explaining. Do you get it?"

Scott was more interested now, his anger was replaced by questions. What the girl, Pandora, was saying is nonsense. Somehow she read his face and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry… erm, basically if you walk out of the room without knowing or wanting to go anywhere, you'll end up in the sea again. But the third time I drowned and came back here, I must have thought of going to somewhere safe. So when I captiously open the door, I went into a house. I think it was my home… I can't remember… For your information, my memories got wiped off when I came into this box. I'll show you what my house looks like outside so next time you leave this room, think about it. Or you'll have to go through the torture of drowning again… "

Pandora stopped to take a breath. Scott was staring at her and judging her story skeptically. Perhaps he should use his powers…

"Alright, that's about it. I've been living in this stupid box for one whole year alone and you suddenly just materialized. Don't think you have all the rights to have answers. Maybe you should start to answer my questions."

**Thank you so much for reading my crap 3 Tell me if you want more chapters becos I'm very busy. If you guys think that this is shitty please tell me or I'll be wasting my time in vain writing more crap… PLEASE REVIEW THANKS! X3**


	5. Chapter 5

**First of all, I would like to thank XxElectricGirlxX ****and Sofia for reviewing my work. I hadn't expected anyone to say it was nice. It's a real pleasant surprise for a lame writer like me v You made my day! And as I promise, I launched into some writing frenzy and yeah… Chapter 6 is longer than the rest. XO If you are reading this, then THANK YOU SO MUCH! I still think I'm writing a whole load of rubbish but… well… please tell me how you feel 3**

Chapter 6

"I still don't get it."

"That's not answering my question." Pandora retaliated.

"But your answer for my questions, is as good as not answering it. You're asking me to believe that outside this room is the sea? And that we can actually choose to be where we want to be or something? I mean… do you seriously think I'll accept that?" Scott gave Pandora a skeptical scoff at the girl who was chewing her lips.

"Avoiding my question again." Scott did not reply.

"… Fine! Let's leave this for the later… Right now I think you should take a bath and clean the wound of yours. We get some food, get some sleep and sort things out in our head in the meantime, alright Scott?"

Pandora was giving him a keen look on exasperation, almost as if pleading him to co-operate. Her brows were knitted and eyes tired.

Scott on the other hand, was amused that Pandora had actually used his name. It was perfectly alright for him but he simply felt a bit strange. He had felt awkward with anything ever since… Even hearing people say his name, let alone calling her Pandora.

_Pandora…_ The Pandora box. He had heard of the story before, back when he was very young. The tale of the girl named Pandora who couldn't resist the temptation and opened the box full of misery. Did she not mention something about them being in a box? Unnerving…

Pandora was still staring at the boy who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. She had a wild temptation to approach and slap him right in his face. Wouldn't he start treating her seriously already? After all she had done, he had not even acknowledged her.

After waiting for a while, Scott was still zoning out. She had enough. Pandora stood up abruptly and nearly slipped in the puddle of water she had caused.

"Alright, since you're not there anyway, I may as well shower myself first. I'm leaving the door open so you won't go back to the sea again. And if you do, you know what to do, Unless you weren't listening."

She slammed open the door and stormed out.

. . .

For no reason at all, Scott's chest tightened and he gritted his teeth. He had almost forgotten about the pain while talking to the girl (he prefer to think her as 'the girl'. Pandora sounded too weird for him). The salt water was attacking him again. The wound was infected and he had to wash it, quickly.

Summoning all his strength, Scott clenched his fist and staggered up. He tried hard to bit back a moan escaping his mouth. Even slight movements of the muscles stung his entire body. After he stood up, the numb cold decided to attack him as he registered the fact that he was drenched. Everything was happening slowly, step by step. First he thinks, then his chest hurts, and finally he realized he was soaking wet. His brain was clouded and nothing was right.

The drugs, the injections, the doses.

Scott wanted to yell. He wanted to end everything. But since when, just _when_ did he ever had what he wanted? Ever since the day he was born, in a stupid seed box, just what did he do to make him deserve all this?

When he was still young, he had longed to have a normal family, with a nice mother and father to play with. Instead, he was tossed from homes to homes, schools to schools. Everyone despised him and Jamie. He eventually grew up and learnt to see the world more realistically. _The Accident_. That was when both of them found out about their abilities. It wasn't like being heroes, they were freaks. As things steadily got worst, the two weren't even schooled, instead they ended up suffering in the bloody theatre doing stupid tricks. Scott wanted to be at least satisfied that Jamie was still there. Whatever happens, he _wanted_ to be with Jamie. And then what happened?

Want, what a pathetic word.

Usually when the bitter thoughts entered his head, he would lash out everything with anger and hatred. Sometimes even at his own brother. He would punch the wall until his knuckles bloodied. But now, he could see. There was no more anger left in him. His hopes were torn away like a bird without wings. _End._ It seemed more reasonable the anger, more peaceful.

Scott winced and clutched his chest again. Pain was constant, in and out. He could at least sort out his physical one first. With each step he took, his injury whined. When he finally reached the door, it seemed as though he took hours. His breath was labored and beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead.

Scott looked out of the room. _Impossible_. Everything was wrong, everything was impossible. The obvious was shouting at him but he couldn't see it. What he was looking at was plain impossible. He had seen the girl left the room and he did not hear the splash. It was just like she had said.

The sea was gone.

Instead Scott found himself standing in a hallway. He stared at what he could never believe. How can the sea be gone? He had obviously fallen into some sort of water body; his shivering state was pure evidence. He couldn't be hallucinating, after all can't stand on sea. But here he was, standing in an entire different world.

Somewhere, Scott could hear the distant sound of water gushing. Did the girl not say something about showering? He briefly recalled her insulted face before slamming the door. What did he do now? He had not even paid attention to what she was saying half the time.

Scott wandered about at the strange place he was in. He soon realise that this was just any ordinary house. Directly in front of him in the hallway were two rooms with the doors closed. He decided not to be nosy and walked towards the living room.

Everything was perfectly normal, with a black leather sofa facing a plasma TV. There were tables and chairs all at right and appropriate places. Everything was clean and spotless. Scott wondered if the girl had been living here alone or if she had company. Everything she had said didn't made sense at all.

Yes, everything was normal except for one thing, the windows. The house was bright and daylight was pouring out of the windows. Scott assumed it was probably mid afternoon. He squinted his eyes as he adjusted to the glaring light. It had probably been weeks ever since saw the sunlight. He approached the windows and looked out.

Scott thought the windows might give him some clue as to where he was. He looked out in hope to see something, a field, roads, the grass, even the sea. In fact Scott found himself staring into emptiness.

**I know right… Shitty ending TmT…**

** Please help review and give me some suggestions! ThanksJ**


	6. Chapter 6

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVEN READING THIS. I have to thank all of you for showing me your support and writing me heart-warming reviews. If not, I would have totally given up writing! Thanks for the encouragement! v**

Chapter 7

Light.

It was like looking into nothing. It was like looking towards the forbidden, too far away for him to see, too complex for him to understand. He was looking at something he should not, and could not look at. But there it was, staring right back at him.

It gave off something, something queer. The pain left him and for once, just this once in his whole life. He actually felt light. Everything disappeared, the pain, the terror and all his bitter memories. What was left was emptiness. It was not happiness or blissfulness. He simply felt empty.

Scott's muscles tensed and he stood there, body rigid. He knew he had to stop. He could stare at the light for years, for decades. He needed to stop. But there was nothing he could do.

The light was luring and mysterious. It was calling out to him. Walk into it, he might finally find what he wanted. _Walk forward_. No, it was more than that. Somehow, Scott knew what he was staring at.

His heart lurched. He tried to turn away, tried to shut his eyes. But the light was so beautiful. It was demanding. It had power. And it was terrifying Scott more than ever. Scott stared.

.. .. ..

Pandora looked into the mirror. Her reflection gazed back at her with tired eyes. What she needed now was 24 hour long sleep. Sleep was robbed from her for almost five days. Her head was heavy and she quickly brushed her teeth. Her hands reached to the door before she froze.

There was still Scott. What was she suppose to do now? There was only one bed and she was far from willing to sleep on the sofa.

She sighed. Why is everything so messed up? All she knew was his name. Did he expect a whole world of mystery to be solved simply by providing his name? He kept shooting her with watchful eyes. Obviously, he was deciding whether to trust her. To hell with that, _she_ should be the one doubting _him_.

Pandora remembered what happened during the first night. Scott had been trashing and yelling. It hurt her just to see someone in so much pain. She had tried everything to calm him down. Although he was unconscious, every time Pandora approached, he would wince and draw back. How was she supposed to help him when it hurt with everything she did?

Pandora was seriously worried for him. She remembered the nightmares… Just the thought made her reel back. Suddenly she felt so stupid at snapping at him. She knew she had no idea what he had been through.

In fact, she had been taking her time showering. What was he doing, surely not sleeping _again_? Pandora thought about him ignoring her and not acknowledging her.

Whatever, Pandora stepped out of the bathroom. She immediately saw Scott. She knew what happened to him. He was looking outside of the windows, not moving. Silently cursing, she hastened to the living room.

.. .. ..

Everything changed in that split second. The spell broke and Scott found himself staring at something else. The light was fading away like swirls and something green was appearing at the window. The image reminded him of something. The walls! The walls in the bedroom were exactly what he was staring at.

Scott had barely registered what happened before everything settled. The colors stop flying wildly and rested at their respective places. The picture gradually changed into a real scene.

It was a field, some sort of grass patch. The grasses were knee deep and danced in the night breeze wildly. The sky was dark but calm. Stars. When was the last time he saw all of these? The glaring light he had seen just now had misled him into thinking that it was noon. He could not see the moon but it was obviously a peaceful night.

Scott felt her presence. He turned and found her looking out of the window too. Her flaming red hair with dripping beads of water was plastered onto her cheeks. She look more refresh as her eyes gazed into the sky. Her eyes, he had just realise, was almond brown.

Scott had no idea why but his energy suddenly drained out and pain flowed in instead. Having briefly forgotten everything, the pain was more shocking and sudden. He gasped out loud and nearly collapsed and ended up clutching his wound with one knee on the ground.

Pandora eyes widened and quickly hurried to his side. Flustered, she had to literally drag Scott into the room. Scott was gritting his teeth, desperately trying to contain the pain and not yell it all out. Somehow, he managed to tumble onto the bed.

"My god I am so sorry, I totally forgot about that…" Pandora had quickly registered the problem and ran out of the room.

In almost the same second she crashed into the room with a bottle of water and some pills. Scott cringed when he saw what he thought he saw.

"Painkillers. I need to kill the germs and it is going to hell damn sting so you need this! Don't worry, it's nothing harmful. You'll just sleep, if you're not sick of it already."

After much persuading and demanding, Scott finally swallowed the pills reluctantly. Fearing for the worst, he was pleasantly surprised when a gradual wave of sleepiness took over him. He vaguely drifted from one world and another.

Pandora on the other hand was working furiously to treat the wound. She went to clean the wound with a towel draped in water. The ugly gash gaped at her and she was annoyed at herself. The sea water! Why had she not thought of it earlier?

After she applied medicine and wrapped the injury, Pandora found herself dirty again. Sighing, she washed away the blood and medicine on her hands. Pandora was satisfied with her work and quickly dived into the sofa. She had not even bothered with a blanket. Exhaustion was too overpowering and sleep welcomed her with open arms.

**Sorry DX everything is a bit draggy and boring… Still hope you guys enjoyed it XD**

**Going to finish writing Chapter 8 soon. Feel free to drop me a review or any suggestions J (I went bonkers in happiness when I receive such pleasant reviews 3 XDDDD)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Heh heh... Sorry for the late updating... =m= I might update a lot all at one go or maybe update once in forever so...yep! If it is any consolation, I already thought of the plot so I think I will be able to finish this fanfic:)) Please enjoy!**

Chapter 8

Scott woke up to the smell. He intake another breath and figured out it was food. _Food. God, how he missed them_. His fingers lingered to his chest and felt bandage. The wound had decided to stop whining, that was good. After Scott had confirmed that he was strong enough, he slowly got up and left the room (the door was opened).

So far, his chest had stung a little but it was bearable. With every step he took, his head spun with dizziness. The one big problem was that he was badly starved. His brain could barely work out the days since he last saw food.

The hallway was dimly lit but the kitchen was easy to find anyway. Apparently, Pandora was humming loudly to herself. He could also hear the sound of sizzling fire. Scott cautiously advanced towards the kitchen. As he slowly stumble forward, his guts made him avoid looking at the window. The overpowering aroma hit him before he even entered the kitchen.

Scott stood there awkwardly. Pandora was holding out a pan on the fire stove, singing a random tune. She had her long flaming hair tied back into a high pony tail. She was wearing black t-shirt with blue Bermudas. Scott's eyes lingered onto the kitchen table and tried his best not to immediately lunge onto it. He felt like he was stupidly waiting for the girl to notice him.

"Bloody hell! You scared the stuffing out of me… You could have warned…" Pandora jumped and nearly dropped her pan. Her face was the same shade as her hair as she realized he had heard her singing (very off-tune).

"Hey… Are you feeling any better? Oh yes! Breakfast! Actually, it should be lunch. Have you checked the mirror for the past month? Do you know how skinny you look? Drink the porridge first. Or you might have indigestion or whatever…" Pandora continued to babble like a mother as Scott settle down on the chair.

"What's with that look of yours? I didn't put poison in it if that's what you are thinking. It is perfectly edible; in fact it is _very_ edible. I take pride in my cooking talents."

Scott stared at what was in front of him. He had never ever even seen such delicacies before. It was all like a pleasant dream. Laid in front of him was a gigantic bowl of porridge. There were two enormous fluffy pancakes stacked high with maple syrup decorating on them. There were also two golden crispy hash brownies and three sizzling hot streak bacon. There were another one sandwich with melted warm cheese and tomato-sauced sliced sausages inside them. To top everything, there was a mug of steaming hot chocolate with white milk froth.

Scott stared at the food unbelievably and then at Pandora. He didn't need any encouraging. The porridge was demolished within a few seconds. Afterwards, he tried his best to enjoy the food slowly and not gobble everything down. This was the first, first in his fourteen years of life.

"Slow down… Nobody is taking it away or anything. I ate mine long time ago. In fact, you really _do_ look like you didn't eat for months. Are you still hungry? I could make more…?"

Scott shook his head while stuffing in more bacon into his mouth. He must have looked like a clown to her. He was hungry, it did not matter.

Both were musing over the dead silence as the level of awkwardness steadily climbed. Scott was doing his job avoiding her eye contact by staring intently at his food. Pandora was munching on cookies staring outside from the kitchen idly. Both were aware but pretended not to realise each other's presence.

Scott felt his energy return to him immediately. After finishing his second hash brownie, he could already feel his brain functioning more logically now. Facing with so many questions, he still found space for Jamie. It must have been decades since he last saw him. He tried hard to recall what had leaded him here. Memories were fuzzy, more importantly, memories were painful. He could almost feel himself blocking his own pathway to memory lane. He didn't want to remember. Suddenly, the food tasted bitter.

With his mind occupied, Scott had not realized how fast his plate had emptied. He felt so much better with warm and assuring food in his stomach. Scott truly felt grateful for the food, it was simply delicious. He was already beginning to regret not enjoying it but sulking over unpleasant thoughts.

He stared at the girl and the girl stared back. "Thank you… The food was really… good." Scott managed after a long pause of silence.

"You know I was almost suspecting if you can even talk. Why do you always…? Anyway, it's silly talking to myself so next time, can you please don't ignore me?"

Scott nodded and saw Pandora's face before murmuring "Fine."

"You feeling any better?"

"Yeah… Thanks, Pandora…?"

Pandora beamed at the mention of her name. Scott was at least trying. Feeling more encouraged, she evidently became friendlier.

"You know… I think you should take a bath. No offence but well… It'll do you good. And yes I know there's a lot of tension between us but. Well this might hardly help but, you can trust me ok?"

_Trust_. Scott remembered his ability. No, he was too weak to use it yet. However, he knew he ought to be grateful of her. He knew what she had done to help him. It was definitely more than enough to earn her trust.

"Sure. And, thanks, Pandora." Despite everything, Scott forced a slight curve on his lips. He wanted her to understand he meant well.

"It's alright! I got you some clothes from the box and I'm not sure if it'll fit you but you current one is a bit too bloodied… The toilet is just there and I trust you know how to work everything. I mean… you seriously don't need any… help… right…?"

Pandora gave a stare that told Scott that he had better said no. Of course he didn't need any. Scott shook his head and stood. Pandora jumped up hastily too.

"I'll be out, doing stuff. Yep, just so you know." Pandora smiled at him and nervously left the kitchen heading for the wooden door at the living room. Pandora saw him looking at her.

"Oh, and I'll be back in half an hour's time. Yeah… right, I'll be off… Take your time." Scott nodded and headed to the bathroom.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hohoho... This is me feeling guilty for such a long update! Please don't hate me ~ I hope this isn't too boring, I've already planned out the whole story so I promise I wouldn't leave this as a hanging story XD. Feel free to drop me reviews or suggestions, I love them! :DD**

Chapter 9

The bathroom was steaming and Scott had never felt so comfortable. It was a painful experience at first as the cut flesh came in contact with the hot water. Although it still stung, Scott was used to moving his body professionally to avoid the gash from making contact with the water.

He examined the wound. It looked almost a week old, there were already little scabs forming at the corner. It ought to close soon. Scott sighed in relief as the water cleaned away his troubles. He thought perhaps he might want to sort things out while he was showering but he realized that was going to happen. In reality, he was just enjoying everything as much as he can.

Once in, he did not want to get out. But he remembered what Pandora had said. If he did not finish soon, he might have to change awkwardly while Pandora is still somewhere in the house.

He looked around and saw a clean white towel draped over a bar. There were also dark brown pants and a dull green shirt with simple stripes on them. Scott had grown use to wearing things that didn't suit him until everything he wore stood neutral. However, the material was warm and comfortable, unlike the usual cheap and scratchy. He quickly dried and left the bathroom.

Scott had never felt more refreshed, he almost wanted to smile. He was well-fed, he had himself cleaned and fresh. There was not much physical pain left in him, no more constant drumming and buzzing drugs in him. What could he ask for more?

Jamie.

The pang of guilt churned his stomach. Jamie was supposed to be the only thing he cared, the only thing he had. He had never left his side for so long. Where is Jamie now? In fact, where was _he_ now?

With the towel still draped over his head, he walked steadily to the living room. When he confronted the window again, he saw the same scenery as before, except in the morning this time. Dazed, he slumped onto the black leather sofa and gazed forward absent-mindedly.

_Start organizing your thoughts_. Jamie would have said that, would he? Scott felt a tug of dread as he almost doubted the voice inside his head. It didn't sound like Jamie. Was he distanced away from him so far that he couldn't even recall his own brother's voice?

Painful memories, however painful, had to be recalled, if not he would be going nowhere Scott had wanted the feeling of bliss a little bit more, now it was back to a horror movie. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

That day when he last saw Jamie, it was almost ages ago. There was a sharp pain on his shoulder, he was hit. From then on, it was a series of hell episodes. Drugged, strapped, transported, drugged, strapped, tortured, tortured, "persuaded" by that bloody woman, drugged and tortured again. Scott had all this remembered as pointedly and emotionlessly as possible, he didn't want the details. In his drugged and pained state, he could vaguely remember the blood-curling voice of that woman. Something about using his powers to assassinate someone, he resisted. The knife and his chest met. That was the end.

Back to reality, Scott had almost forgotten how to breathe as he pulled his face into a scowl. Somehow he managed to escape the nightmare and came to another weird world. It seemed as though he jumped right from hell to heaven. Not that he was protesting. Yet, he wanted to see Jamie. He was nothing without him, if there was still hope then he would pursue it.

Scott' train of thoughts was interrupted as the door slammed opened and Pandora burst in. She was rather disheveled and panting as though she had a lot of running. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement and terror "Oh my… I am never ever doing that again… Jesus! Oh, Scott! Yes, don't mind me. I was just… Never mind!"

Pandora jumped onto the other sofa as she recovered her breath. She finally noticed Scott's incredulous stare and gave him a meek smile.

"That was nothing really, I'll explain someday later. Or maybe I wouldn't. I think you ought to feel better, although… Scott, what's wrong? You seem very, very pale… What happened?"

"Nothing I was just… thinking and… remembering…" Scott's voice cracked and trailed off. Pain was flickering in his tired dark eye. Pandora knew only too well what was going on. She had to face it now; her dream was not a dream for him. It was all real.

"I'm sorry…" Pandora' whisper was barely audible.

"What? No… You don't know anything at all. What are you even sorry for? _What_ do you even know…?" Scott's voice was caught in his gasp and he bit his lips so hard. His knuckles were white, his fist clenched tightly.

The boy shaking in front of Pandora was truly hurt. Broken, dismantled, torn. She did not know what to do, any word from her now could stab him even harder. She wanted to know more about him, but he might just shatter if he talked about it. But what help could she be, if she did not even know anything about him. _Are you alright_ was simply an extremely stupid and insensitive question left for obvious to answer.

"I have a brother… He's called Jamie. We're twins, we're inseparable. And now, he never seemed so far away from me."

All of a sudden, Scott had talked. He was avoiding eye contact with Pandora, simply staring somewhere. He was trying to distract himself, or maybe compensate for Pandora. Every word was drawn out with great effort. However, slowly he began to settle and talk easily. His eyes were dark, but something was slowly creeping in. Scott was crawling out of misery with every word said. Pandora dare not interrupt him.

"We were dumped in a seed box when we were born. Everything was wrong the minute since then. Jamie and I were simply tossed here and there. Foster homes to foster homes, schools to schools. Everywhere we go, there's trouble following us. We didn't do anything, there's just something… going on. People don't like us. There was this time… _The Accident_. I… Our foster parent was drunk and he threatened to separate us. The thing is, wherever we go, Jamie and I were never separated. I think the thought scared both of us. I was only twelve then I…"

Pandora could see Scott hesitating. He didn't want to say it. Although she was dying of curiosity, she didn't want to push him to hard.

"You don't need to say if you don't want to…"

"Alright, all you need to know is something terrible happened, but it was an accident! I swear it was, both Jamie and I were quite traumatized after wards. Anyway, things happened and both of us ended up in the hands of some idiot who used us as…"

Scott paused. He didn't want to tell her about his powers yet, he doubted he would believe her and… maybe he just was not ready.

"Actually, he forced us into the show. We were working for him on this pathetic theatre show, showcasing cheap tricks. We refused at first and he tried all sorts of things to make us… He starved us, threatened us, beat us. In the end he used us against each other, he beat Jamie. He whipped him and hit him so hard and I said yes. Whenever we did something unsatisfactory, he used the rod. Life was miserable but at least we had each other. It was all that mattered actually, Jamie and I were together. And then…"

Scott paused, his eyes filled with dread again. After a few seconds, he forced his mouth opened and continued.

"They came. I don't know why, we were special to them somehow. I really didn't know. They killed the idiot and came for us. We tried to escape but well… I didn't make it. Thankfully Jamie got away, I really hope they didn't catch him now. If they did, they're going to do what they did to me to him…"

Scott was trembling slightly again and his face was deathly shade of white. Pandora knew what came next.

"Those people, they think we're special… Actually we are in some sense… They said something about one of the five or something. But the thing is. For all my life, all my bloody life I never asked any of this. You wouldn't ever know what they did to me… You wouldn't ever…"

"Scott." Pandora looked right into his eyes, she didn't want him to think she pitied him. She didn't even know what she wanted. The next thing she knew, she was holding his clenched fist, curling her fingers over his, staring right into his eyes. "Scott listen, I do. I do know. You don't have to say anything, because nothing ever happened. Everything they did to you, it never would happen again. So it might as well never happen. Scott."

Scott had no more left to control, he wept.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello there! Here's Chap 10, a real quick update (now that I have the angst and everything) Thanks for reading and keeping up with my fanfic!**

Chapter 10

Pandora could feel Scott's clenched fist slowly relax. She was sitting beside him now, silent as a mouse. Her eyes were closed and she heard Scott regaining his composure steadily. He hastily stood up and made for the toilet. When he came back to the living room, Pandora seemed almost asleep.

Her flaming red hair was loosely tugged into a ponytail and was spread all over the sofa as she laid her head back resting. She had seen him cry, but strangely he had not mind at all. He had never spoke so much about his life to anyone, not even Jamie, they hardly talk about it. He felt more comfortable with Pandora now. She helped him back to strength, gave him excellent hospitality and was friendly to him. What more could he ask? Aside from Jamie, nobody had been this good to him. Scott gazed at Pandora and smiled at her, he was free from his trouble, finally at liberty.

Pandora's eyes snapped open suddenly and she jumped to her feet, oblivious to startling Scott.

"I think you ought to be better now from your injuries, would you like to go for a walk? I was just constructing the fields."

Ignoring Scott's questioning stare, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the door. Scott still had no idea what he was expecting outside, this world was definitely not his. What with the Ocean and everything…

The next minute he knew, Pandora thrust a pair of shoes to him and grabbed hers. She ran forward towards a wide green field. Laughing and spreading out her hands like a bird. The strong breeze caught her ginger hair and swept them into the sky. She stood there for a moment enjoying the breeze, before lying on the fresh green grass, giggling.

Scott stared incredulously at his surroundings. He was almost used to all the bizarre happenings around him, _almost_. The sun was high up but not too glaring. The sky, a clean shade of blue, was decorated with white fluffy clouds and was blown by the strong wind. The grass field was nice and welcoming, and in the middle laid Pandora, genuinely happy.

All pain forgotten, all loss forgotten, Scott laughed to himself and went to join Pandora. They lay on the grass and kept laughing. Scott had never laughed so much in his life, he hardly even laugh in fact. Sarcastic laughter, fake laughter, it was nothing compared to this hearty, warm laughter.

Scott also never knew one could be tired after laughing, his jaws were aching from smiling so much. Pandora and he lay there in silence and listened to the sound of nature. Somewhere there were birds, somewhere there were insects. And if they strained their ears very carefully, they could even hear the wind wheezing.

"Is this all even real?" Scott muttered to himself after a few silent moments.

"No."

Scott chuckled and sat up.

"Well then Pandora, show me more of your wonderland."

Both of them strolled idly by, walking on the grass field that tickled their ankles. Scott stared at Pandora.

"Maybe you ought to explain to me now. I mean, there's so much I don't understand… The window, the ocean, and now this!"

"I already told you. We're simply in a box of wonders. Anything I ask for, anything I want, it'll just provide me with. I was actually constructing this whole place when I was on the sofa. I only have imagine it, feel it, picture it. The next minute I knew, it's there. Food, places, sceneries and the house you see there. But if I lack of imagination or if I was not thinking of anything before I leave the room or the house, it's the Ocean."

"How does that even make sense?"

"It doesn't. Don't question sense here Scott, just be grateful everything is what you want."

_Want…_

"Who are you?"

"I'm Pandora. Simple as that."

The strolled in silence for a few moments before Scott ask his yearning questions.

"Have you heard of the story, _The Pandora Box_?"

"I… yes… I did. I know the story…" Pandora faltered.

"You know this is kind of creeping me out. I hardly believe it's just a coincidence. You said you came here without knowing anything except your name. Do you really not know? Your parents? Where you actually came from?"

"No… Scott, think about what it's like. Not knowing anything, nothing at all. Stuck in this weird box alone for one whole year. It isn't pleasant at all. The myth obviously had bothered me. Imagine the first few days, drowning over and over again. The loneliness, the silence. It was a miracle I managed to not go insane after one whole year. I do have all these places I imagine to visit. But… I tried finding people, even animals to keep me company. Months past and I got this straight. This is a crazy box in a whole other universe, and I am the only one in it. It was so terrible, I… I almost wanted to die. I would die alone…"

Scott understood her only too well. He took her hand for comfort.

"Scott, you don't know how important you are to me. Your very presence, even if it was for one day, one hour. It makes me hope. Hope. Remember Scott? Hope was the butterfly that flew out of the box before the Pandora in the myth closed the box of terror."

Scott was speechless, he had not realise his significance was as important to her as she is to him. He continued forward in silence until he saw a tree. It was not exactly small and not too big either. Yet it looked rather comical for a single lone tree to be standing in the vast sea of grass. Under the sunlight, he squinted his eyes and saw something brown strapped to the tree.

"Red! Gold!" Pandora cried out to the two horses, their features exactly that of their names. She approached them like old friends and stroke their manes happily. The horses wheezed in greeting.

Red was a smart auburn horse with a shinning yellow mane and similar swishing tail. It was slightly taller than Gold, whose fur was a clean shade of yellowish-gold, it had a handsome silver mane and seemed equally delighted to see Pandora.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Said she as she gazed into the almond eyes of Red, an exact shade as hers, as though talking to him.

Scott shook his head, he had not even seen a horse real life before, let alone ride it. Pandora smiled and untied the horses from the tree.

"It's great fun to ride horses. I could teach you, not that I'm a great teacher or anything. But… are you strong enough h? You could fall…" she gestured towards his chest.

Scott felt the bandage still in place, the injury was hardly painful, just the usual numb sting. He can't reject Pandora's excited face, he'll just look cowardly running beside a trotting horse. Anyway, he wouldn't miss riding horses for the world.

"Mount the horse, keep your back straight, look forward and hold your reins. We're not going for a run, just a brisk stroll." Pandora helped Scott to the saddle but did not mount Gold. Instead, she simply led both horses to the fields.

Scott never thought horses would be this tall. He could hardly see the land below his feet and towered over Pandora. It was also rather embarrassing that Pandora had to lead the horse for him and he was still swaying left and right without balance as the horse trotted. He gripped the reins tightly.

"Back straight, don't slouch! Scared aren't you? You look like you're jumping down a waterfall." Pandora smirked at Scott's mortified expression.

Scott on the other hand, was determined to prove her wrong. He had already decided him like horse-riding and him liking Red. Riding a horse made him feel grand, made him feel familiar somehow…

"If you want him to run, tighten your legs. If you want him to stop, tighten your reins. It's really as simple as that. Actually, I've got to give that to you. You're quite a natural rider! Just have more confidence in yourself."

With that, Pandora let go of Red and mounted Gold swift as ever. Her posture was all correct and her horse started galloping forward. It was obvious she was a professional at it. Her gaze was intense but her wide smile on her face was relaxed. She galloped further and further away from Scott into the never-ending fields and Scott felt more like a fool than ever.

"Am I suppose to follow you?" Scott called after her and heard how stupid he sounded. Pandora's laughter ringed in reply.

"Try if you can!"

Scott, with much fury and anticipation, guided the horse and nudged it forward. Red immediately broke into a fast run towards Pandora and Gold. Scott enjoyed every second of it. The wind against his face, the rhythm of the gallops, bumping of his body up and down, it was too exhilarating. Although his chest protested with all the vigorous movement, he hardly cared. Pandora and Scott spent the rest of the evening chasing and racing each other madly, their jaws cracking from all the laughing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello friends if you are still reading this then I love you! I was wondering if anyone ever read my fanfic and got a bit discourage when there was hardly any response but I receive another review and thats enough for me to go on with a new chapter haha hope you enjoy and please drop a note to tell me how this is. I promise I would update soon if you guys review hahaha XD **

Chapter 11

Scott and Pandora rode to a riverside by the time the sun was low. The river, like the tree, was oddly found in the middle of nowhere again.

"So much for your imagination, everything just pops up _so naturally_." Scott scoffed and Pandora, which earned him a punch on his shoulder for his effort.

They refreshed themselves with the river water and lay down on their backs, cushioning they're head with their hands. Heard the gushing river, saw the setting sun, felt the warm grass. There were no words to describe how Scott was feeling.

"Thank you, I mean it. All this you have done for me… How everything was before…" Scott winced again as his memories flooded back.

Pandora knew what she did today was only temporary. Scott was damaged permanently, an ugly scar that can never heal. Wings of a bird chipped off, it would never fly again. His past was smothering dark, it would never be illuminated again. Only feeble glimmer perhaps.

"What do you want Scott…?"

"You can't give me what I want. I wanted an end to the pain, but it wouldn't end. It would never end. Physically there would be scars. But years later, decades later, I would still be haunted. Hatred would swallow me up and eat me alive. The pain would never leave me. I…"

Scott gave an agonizing moan.

"What did I even do? All my bloody life, all my bloody life! There used to be something I would live for. But now, even Jamie…? Pandora, I am immensely grateful to you. But I don't understand. Why are you helping me when nobody did before? And even now, I'm finding it hard to believe all this. All these things, it's too good. Pandora, if there is something I learnt in my entire screwed up life, it is nothing good happens to me."

Scott closed his eyes and sighed and Pandora stared into the starry sky, both were silent for five minutes, deep in their own bitter thoughts. Finally, Pandora broke the silence.

"Let's go, it's late and I'm exhausted."

They rode back to the little house, with Scott musing over how Pandora managed to know the route. He took a shower while Pandora "made dinner", which was actually just sandwiches and hotdogs as Pandora complained she was too tired.

While Pandora took her turn in the bathroom, Scott stood awkwardly at the room. Wasn't the bed Pandora's? He had already occupied the bed for so many days, it would be rude for him to sleep on it although he was feeling perfectly fine.

Scott touched the wound, ugly scabs and swollen flesh, at least it didn't hurt that much anymore. The sofa seemed like the right place for him but he dreaded it. Pandora's habit of bursting into rooms without warning greeted him again. Her hair was wet and messy and she seemed rather surprise to see Scott standing in her bedroom.

"Scott, are you feeling much better now? I don't want to sleep at the sofa again…"

"No, no! It's all right, I could go there tonight. Actually, aren't there another two rooms outside? Is it okay for me to… occupy it?"

A weird expression passed over Pandora's face and she looked at Scott bewilderedly.

"Rooms? What two rooms…? Oh that! No…" Pandora's eyes glazed, "Scott I think you had better sleep on the bed tonight. I don't mind. Just one last night though mind you, I'll get myself a sleeping bag for tonight. Don't bother protesting. The floor's quite horrible for your wound on the chest, you might flip over or something… I'll sleep in the other room."

Scott nodded hesitantly, he was strangely disturbed with the look on Pandora's face when he mentioned about the two rooms. A weird expression had passed her face and had still left slight traces there. It somehow made him uncomfortable, something that could not be put to words.

Pandora gave a goodnight-smile and left the room, busily drying her hair with a towel. Scott, with uneasiness churning in his stomach, slept within one minute due to fatigue. However, the sleep felt restless and dreary, almost druggy.

Scott remembered sub-consciously of himself waking up frequently. There was something that must have disturbed him. Tossing and turning restlessly, Scott suddenly felt very much awake. He was urging the torturous night to pass quickly, every second ticked away agonizingly slow.

Sudden movement. A crash. And then a scream.

Scott jolted up from his bed, heart thudding. Was it just his imagination? After all, he was drowsy. Uneasiness snaked into the eerie darkness. Scott heard it again. It was something like a yelp and moan at the same time. He stood up and hesitantly approached the door. Could it be Pandora? Idiot, who else could it be?

Biting his tongue, he stumbled into Pandora's room hastily. The room was dark and he was too unfamiliar to know where the switch to turn the light is. Squinting into the darkness, he vaguely saw a twisted silhouette thrashing all over the floor, whimpering.

Scott scurried forward, brows knitted tightly. Pandora was crying, but when Scott asked her what happened, she screamed and tucked her chin into her knees, wet trails of tears staining her cheeks. He awkwardly placed his hand onto her shoulders; a weak attempt to calm her down. Resulting in her flinching and yelling hoarsely.

"NO! STOP!"

Her eyes were tightly screwed together and her body tensed whenever Scott approached her. She was having a nightmare. The way she struggled, tears streaming down her glistening cheeks furiously, screaming things to stop. Scott clenched his jaws curled his fingers into a fist. The sight was too much, he had once felt the same way, once did the same thing.

Memories engulfed him momentarily, blinding him with rage. Scott had been trying so hard to forget them, at least ignore them. The memories entered his head carefully, as though unfamiliar in his brain. Another heart-wrenching scream jolted Scott back from his pain briefly. He shook his head violently, so much suffering was bad enough for him, and he did not want to see Pandora in the same fate too. Pandora and Scott, both on the verge of losing their mind. Scott swallowed down his nausea and focused everything on Pandora. Her conditions were gradually getting worst, it was no ordinary nightmares. The sight of her twitched frame was unbearable; Scott would have given everything to stop it.

"Pandora! Hey, wake up Pandora!" Scott was surprised at how steady he sounded; he was far from feeling so. He firmly shook her awake, ignoring her violent struggling attempts to break free from his grasp, whimpering like an injured puppy. Scott hesitated for a moment, was he hurting her? Scott's head was suddenly abused with a racking headache.

He had not yet realised that Pandora was already awake, but the nightmare had not left her at all. It was only when Pandora grasped his wrist tightly and sobbed his name softly did Scott noticed her pleading eyes staring at him. And in that second when they shared eye contact, Scott's world flipped around. He did not just see her terrified eyes, he had seen what the terrified eyes seen. The terror itself. His power had slipped and suddenly Scott's mind was snatched away by everything he saw. It was one thing remembering memories, another actually witnessing all the torture again. Scott drew in a long breath but nothing entered his lungs. The dark room with the instruments of death, the electricity that sent him screaming his throat out, begging to die. _The actual pain._

Something hard knocked onto his chest and he nearly collapsed onto his back. Scott's mind still stung but he was force back again to the room. Panting heavily, he found Pandora sobbing into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him for comfort. Scott flinched instantly for many reasons. The main was that such close distance made him lose control of his power, not to mention her thoughts were literally screaming into his ears. His vision blurred and tears started down. Pandora had no idea how much she was hurting him. With her nightmare fresh in her mind, with her mind screaming for help, Scott felt everything, and more. These nightmares had once haunted Scott, and now it was back to rip him apart to pieces again.

Scott could no longer take in anymore, he howled and literally pulled himself away from Pandora. He buried his face into his hands, weeping uncontrollably. Pandora was mixed with confusion and hurt all at different degrees. Again, this made Scott's mind whirl like a raging tornado.

"STOP! JUST BLOODY STOP IT ALREADY!"

Scott bellowed at Pandora without helping. He could not think straight, with so much wild emotions, both Pandora's and his, attacking and overflowing his brain massively. His powers lost control again. This time it attacked Pandora. Scott must have "mind-talked" to Pandora without meaning to, as she heard everything that went into Scott's head. Pandora had entered into his mind now and suddenly she was paralyzed. Everything Scott felt burst into her and she finally could understand. Stunned, she saw why Scott was in so much more pain from her nightmare than she was in. She saw how she had been having nightmares while Scott was actually present in the torture itself. She saw how he was broken to nothing.

However, the power's momentary outburst was about to fade away from Pandora. She quickly grasped the last strand before it disappeared and use it against Scott.

Pandora was not really sure what exactly she was doing but Scott's mind cleared a little, she could feel it. As though she was drawing out the pain from his head, clearing away the memories, not stealing them forever, just storing them away. Scott had screamed at her to stop thinking about the nightmare and that was a command of some sort, Pandora's mind had also lifted from the troubles of the nightmare. But both of them did not lose the pain forever, it was still there, and it will always be there.

Pandora never felt such power in herself before, but it was already gone. Both Pandora and Scott were shaken and traumatized, but everything was under control now. Everything except for their tears streaming wildly down their cheeks. The next thing they knew, both of them were in each other arms. Scott buried his face into her hair and sobbed uncontrollably, Pandora was shaking and whimpering while Scott cradled her. Both were seeking comfort in each other's presence, the pain they shared had strung them together into a bond that could never be broken.


End file.
